Monday June 19 2023
Labor Adds Insult to Injury on Buybacks
Member for Page Kevin Hogan said Labor’s decision to drastically cut back the Northern Rivers homes buyback scheme was made even worse by an announcement that it would be boosting buybacks in Queensland.
“In the same week Labor let the bad news out that the buyback numbers for Lismore and our region had been halved, Federal Emergency services Minister Murray Watt announced the same scheme in his home state of Queensland would be boosted by another 300 homes,” Mr Hogan said.
“I don’t know what sort of game Labor thinks it’s playing here, but it really adds insult to injury.”
”We still have no answers on why the original 2058 homes identified for buyback in our region has been halved back to just 1091. Labor didn’t even have the decency to be upfront about the cutback, letting the news slip out via the release of barely legible maps from the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation.
“There seems to be a disturbing pattern here, with Minister Watt earlier in the month announcing $250 million for flood warning systems, with Queensland getting priority on that as well.
“I shouldn’t have to remind the Prime Minister that he promised to govern for all Australians and that we are still trying to get back on our feet after the biggest disaster Australia has seen this century,” Mr Hogan said.
ends
